Is this thrush or dead cells

Sam999
Sam999 Member Posts: 319 Member
in Head and Neck Cancer #1
I have white tongue and tried nystatin that did noy help. Doc has given another tablet that i have to melt in my mouth. That seems to haver reduced it a bit.

Does thrush hurt? My tongue is not hurting at all. I am wondering if this is thrush or not. I have doc appt in two days so will know more.

But my throat hurts and i also have white mucous instead of yellowish. Mucus is not much but it is there. Does white mucus indicate thrush?

Thanks,
Sam

Comments

  • blackswampboy
    blackswampboy Member Posts: 341
    #2
    thrush hurts
    yes, thrush hurts.
    as far as I know, mucous is not a symptom of thrush.
  • Laralyn
    Laralyn Member Posts: 532
    #3
    It wasn't thrush for me!
    I had a thick white coating on my tongue that wouldn't go away, even with brushing. It was there at the end of treatment, and it lasted until just a couple days ago (so about 8 weeks). Finally I noticed that when I brushed my tongue, it was starting to go away. It finally mostly disappeared very recently. My doctor said it wasn't thrush, but was likely either dehydration, dead cells, or a combination of both.

    I also have a coating of white dead cells on my gums every couple days, so I'm still reacting to either the radiation or the chemo even at 8 weeks out!

    Hope this helps. :-)
  • boardwalkgirl
    boardwalkgirl Member Posts: 269
    #4
    Can't really help you on
    Can't really help you on this one. Radiation and Oncology disagreed last week on whether I had thrush or not. Oncology thought so, Radiation thought it was just mucositis. Oncology presribed Fluconazole Susp so I am taking it just to be on the safe side and my mouth is better?? I had the skin peeling off the roof of my mouth last week, that was pretty gross.
  • Sam999
    Sam999 Member Posts: 319 Member
    #5
    boardwalkgirl said:

    Can't really help you on
    Can't really help you on this one. Radiation and Oncology disagreed last week on whether I had thrush or not. Oncology thought so, Radiation thought it was just mucositis. Oncology presribed Fluconazole Susp so I am taking it just to be on the safe side and my mouth is better?? I had the skin peeling off the roof of my mouth last week, that was pretty gross.

    Laralyn,
    Even mine does not
    Laralyn,

    Even mine does not go away even if i rub the tongue with a gauze pad. My tongue is still not too good so i cannot clean it every day.

    If it is thrush, do you know if the tongue hurts? My throat is till sore and hurts, i am still mainly liquid diet at 6 weeks out! I dont see any white stuff anywhere except tongue.

    Thanks,
    Sam
  • Sam999
    Sam999 Member Posts: 319 Member
    #6
    boardwalkgirl said:

    Can't really help you on
    Can't really help you on this one. Radiation and Oncology disagreed last week on whether I had thrush or not. Oncology thought so, Radiation thought it was just mucositis. Oncology presribed Fluconazole Susp so I am taking it just to be on the safe side and my mouth is better?? I had the skin peeling off the roof of my mouth last week, that was pretty gross.

    Boardwalkgirl,
    Did using the
    Boardwalkgirl,

    Did using the medicine helping you? If the docs cannot decide, it seems it is not easy to decide if thrush or not. I am also using medicine but dont think it is helping much.

    Thanks,
    Sam
  • hwt
    hwt Member Posts: 2,328 Member
    #7
    Sam999 said:

    Laralyn,
    Even mine does not
    Laralyn,

    Even mine does not go away even if i rub the tongue with a gauze pad. My tongue is still not too good so i cannot clean it every day.

    If it is thrush, do you know if the tongue hurts? My throat is till sore and hurts, i am still mainly liquid diet at 6 weeks out! I dont see any white stuff anywhere except tongue.

    Thanks,
    Sam

    thrush
    I had thrush 3 times and every time my tongue burned really really bad
  • boardwalkgirl
    boardwalkgirl Member Posts: 269
    #8
    Sam999 said:

    Boardwalkgirl,
    Did using the
    Boardwalkgirl,

    Did using the medicine helping you? If the docs cannot decide, it seems it is not easy to decide if thrush or not. I am also using medicine but dont think it is helping much.

    Thanks,
    Sam

    My tongue was feeling
    My tongue was feeling better, today I noticed a couple of new sores on the under side but the top is definitely better after taking the medicine.
  • phrannie51
    phrannie51 Member Posts: 4,716
    #9
    Thrush hurts.....
    since this "coating" isn't painful, I doubt it is thrush. When I get these mouth sores, the mucous increases in my mouth and it is white....you may have sores in your throat since it is sore, and may increase the mucous prodution in your mouth.

    p
  • Spazactaz
    Spazactaz Member Posts: 15
    #10
    I also have this
    I also have this white/yellow coating all over. The dentist thought it was thrush, the doctor wasn't sure. I was first on Nystatin for a few months... to prevent it, but it came near the end of the 2nd month after starting radiation. Then the doctor tried fluconazole, plus some herpes pills? which cost me $400.. ugh! of course neither helped and i still have this. but it doesn't hurt.. so nobody knows what's going on.
  • Sam999
    Sam999 Member Posts: 319 Member
    #11
    Spazactaz said:

    I also have this
    I also have this white/yellow coating all over. The dentist thought it was thrush, the doctor wasn't sure. I was first on Nystatin for a few months... to prevent it, but it came near the end of the 2nd month after starting radiation. Then the doctor tried fluconazole, plus some herpes pills? which cost me $400.. ugh! of course neither helped and i still have this. but it doesn't hurt.. so nobody knows what's going on.

    Based on input from everyone
    Based on input from everyone it does not look like thrush, i hope it does goes away soon.

    I have doc apt this thrursday, will update on what doc says.

    Thnks
    Sam
  • Sam999
    Sam999 Member Posts: 319 Member
    #12
    Sam999 said:

    Based on input from everyone
    Based on input from everyone it does not look like thrush, i hope it does goes away soon.

    I have doc apt this thrursday, will update on what doc says.

    Thnks
    Sam

    Doc said it is not thrush.
    Doc said it is not thrush. She said it is some dead cells and will go away on their own.

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